


Empty Halls

by PaperHatCollection



Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: M/M, also it's 1960ish-70ish, very very young, white hat is very young
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-13 21:03:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12992469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaperHatCollection/pseuds/PaperHatCollection
Summary: Raising a kid is tough.





	Empty Halls

Sometimes, when his brother was busy, White Hat liked to spend his time exploring the vast mansion he called home. There was always a new room to find, or a secret passageway he hadn’t seen yet, or even a whole new floor he hadn’t realized he’d never been on once. Sometimes the halls seemed endless, other times he felt sure the rooms were changing behind his back. Either way, it was an excellent way to pass the time between the tv his brother often left him in front of, and the books full of knowledge that made his head hurt when he read too much. 

He had toys too, of course, but there was something special about exploring and finding an old dusty cursed amulet on his own. Besides, there was only so long you could play with a guy that had a potato head, a can of play-doh, or a crossbow before you started to get that  _ itch _ for something new. So exploring it was, and for today White Hat felt like heading down into the basement.

At the very least he could pretend he was exploring a forgotten dungeon. His mind made up, White Hat abandoned his things and set off, already building a story in his mind of a daring adventurer setting foot in places that no other being would be brave enough to traverse. He liked to call this adventurer Pith.

It had taken him awhile to even figure out how to get  _ into _ the basement. But thanks to a past adventure, White Hat knew just the book to pull to cause the bookcase to swing open and give him access to the stairway leading down into the dark depths of the house. Well… it was five steps and the light from the top already lit up the room just find, but White Hat liked to use his imagination sometimes. 

He skipped down the first two, then jumped the rest of the way to the bottom. Aside from the shelving in the corner, most of the room was filled with boxes and stuff piled seemingly randomly around the room. An interesting bike near one wall caught his attention, and he happily trotted over to investigate. The bike itself was taller than he was, and had long ribbons coming from the handles, so it probably wasn’t his brothers. He lifted some of the ribbons so they’d catch the light, spotting something white behind them. 

His interest caught, he wiggled his way between the bike and the boxes to where a long white coat was hanging on the wall. It reminded him of the coat his brother wore, but in his own color instead. He reached out and grabbed the end of the coat, trying to pull it off the wall. Something made a dull  **_clank_ ** noise above him before the coat suddenly flew into his face as something in front of him creaked open. 

White Hat pulled down the coat to see a new doorway open before him. He threw on the coat, the fabric pooling around his feet like a blanket as he made his way through the door. What he didn’t expect was for blinding lights to snap on automatically, flooding the dusty room. It looked just like the labs he’d seen on the tv, but old and broken down. 

He wasn’t tall enough to reach the table tops on his own just yet, but they were connected to cabinets and drawers he could pull out to create a sort of ladder. He had to pull up the sleeves of the white coat he’d found on the floor to climb up them, and be careful as he climbed up. It must have been made for someone much bigger than himself, but it was kinda fun to wear. A lot of stuff in the mansion was made for people bigger than White Hat, actually. His brother promised him that one day White would have enough mass to form himself a bigger body, but for now he was tiny. 

Aside from the grime, everything in here was a pristine white or a light grey, bright lights bathing the dusty furniture in a fluorescent glow. It felt welcoming to finally be in a room decorated with colors other than black and red for once. Beakers sitting out were either dirty or cracked or melted in two over burnt spots, as if whatever was in them had long since dried up and eroded itself away. A few of the higher shelves still had sealed bottles full of strange liquids, and he found a whole cabinet with dead animals in jars. There was a spiky animal he’s never seen before that had tasted really good. Maybe his brother used to use this room to keep all his snakes, but White didn’t get why it looked ready to fall apart. 

Jumping from one table to the next, White Hat found a strange machine with its glass top smashed open, shards still laying on the padded interior. Next to it he found crumpled and torn paper with a bunch of weird symbols and drawings of ovals. It didn’t look anything like the writing his brother was teaching him how to read, and a bunch of it looked like someone had scratched it all out with a pen. Abandoning the paper when it lost his interest, he found a mug that looked like the front of a train sitting just a little aways, and then a bunch of half assembled thingies with wires and bits of metal sticking out of them. 

Reaching out, White Hat almost touched a weird device with antenna sticking out of the top that resembled those on his tv, before a burst of electricity snapped from the device and struck him, making him stumble back and over the edge of the table with a loud yelp. 

The crying follows shortly after, black tears trailing down his face like ink. The sound- which was more akin to an unholy wailing than the sobs of a normal child, echoed off the walls of the lab like a siren. The call was answered in a few moments when the air rippled, shadows leaping from the walls as Black Hat stepped out of them, immediately kneeling down and scooping White Hat out of the lab coat and into his arms, his eyes slowly traveling across the room he was in.

Without another word Black Hat stepped back into the shadows, taking his brother with him as he stepped into his office, searching him for injuries. White Hat seemed perfectly fine, just startled more than anything. He was even starting to calm down in his arms. “How did you get in there?” Black Hat asked as soon as White’s crys had died down to hiccups. 

White Hat lifted a hand to  rub at the black liquid pooling on his cheeks, shrugging. “I pulled a coat off the wall.” he explained, as if it happened all the time. 

“What coat? The one you were wearing?” Black Hat asked, taking a guess. “Where was the door?”

“Basement.” White Hat said while nodding to answer both questions. Black Hat made a mental note to check the basement later and seal off all the entrances to  _ that _ room. Deciding that White Hat was fine, Black Hat set him on the carpet before snapping his fingers and summoning some of Whites toys with a burst of flames. He handed White his mini tomahawk and a doll. Wait- no, that was dangerous for little kids, wasn’t it? He took back the doll and gave him an action figure of a hero that had been particularly annoying recently. 

“Why don’t you practice for a little while I finish up my work?” Black Hat offered. “Then we can go visit Gray Hat.” He suggested, patting White Hat atop his top hat. Maybe he should get White Hat some new toys, he’d heard there was this popular toy among kids today- something about a car that’s tires were on fire. White wasn’t tall enough to drive a car yet, but a flaming chariot would work just fine. 

Nodding to himself, Black Hat returned to his desk and pulled his paperwork closer to himself, glancing at White Hat and writing a letter to Gray Hat, asking him if he could watch White for a couple hours while he made a few small tweaks to the manor. With a small burst of flame, he sent it right to the other demon before returning his attention back to the documents in front of him, only to find his mind was distracted whenever he tried to focus on them. 

That room. That lab- he’d never thought White Hat would have made his way into that room, even when he explored every nook of cranny of the house. It was a room Black Hat was more than fine ignoring and pretending never existed in the first place, along with everything- and one, associated with it. 

“Black Hat?”

The demon snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his name, gaze dropping to where White Hat was standing besides his desk, holding the same superhero toy he’d been given earlier. Black Hat sat back, pushing away the paperwork he had yet to really start. “Yes, White? Do you need anything?” 

White Hat fidgeted in that way that he did when he wanted to ask a question, but wasn’t sure if he should. He stepped closer, holding out his arms to his brother. Black Hat lifted him up into his lap, patting the top of White’s mini top hat. “Well?” Black Hat asked. “What is it?”

“... Did anyone else used to live here?” White asked. 

“Yes.” Black Hat eyed the red skull sitting on his desk. “Gray Hat lived here once- our other brother is closer to your age than my own, you know.” he smiled, glancing back down at his youngest brother. “In fact, I have plenty of stories of when he  _ was _ your age~” 

White Hat nodded, searching Black Hats face for something, any sign there was more to his story. Black Hat was an excellent liar, however. “What about anyone else?” 

“No, no one else.” had lived here for a long time. “Why do you ask?” Black Hat asked. 

White Hat tilted his head. “Did that lab belong to Gray?” he asked, his own question serving an enough of a question for Black Hat on to what was going through White’s head. 

“Ah, that’s what this was about.” Black Hat said, tilting his head and leaning it on his fist. Of course that lab had caused questions. “Why, yes, it did. You know how he likes to tinker.” Gray Hats lab had actually been on the roof. And that was tens of thousands of years ago, it had been far from the technological advancements of the 1950s. “Does that answer all your questions, or did you have more?” 

White Hat shook his head, before looking away with a slightly disappointed look on his face. Black Hat brushed a finger across his cheek, humming slightly. 

“Come, out with it. What else do you want to say?” Black Hat asked.

“How come the house is so big, but everything is empty?” he asked. Black Hat paused, pursing his lips briefly in thought. White Hat had  _ just _ made his way through a crowded basement into a fully stocked lab, he wasn’t quite sure he understood the question. 

“The house is full of things. Just look at what you’ve found exploring.” He pointed out, snapping his fingers and briefly summoning White Hat’s box of adventuring loot before sending it away again. Despite the evidence, White Hat shook his head with a pout. 

“No, not stuff! How come no one else lives here?” He asked.

Oh.

“A cult lived here once, when I was raising Gray.” Black Hat explained, sitting back. He’d made this home  _ because _ he’d wanted a place to keep Gray Hat while he was raised by the cult Black had gathered together out of weird humans who believed Gray to be their god in some form or another. Back then, there had been more than enough people for Gray to spend time with, and some of the humans even had  _ families _ during their time worshiping young Gray Hat. This time he was raising White Hat on his own. “Are you lonely, White?” Black Hat asked. 

White Hat shrugged, fiddling with the hero figure in his hands. Black Hat took that as a ‘yes’. Hmm… now how to fix this little problem… he couldn’t just let White wonder around outside on his own, his powers were barely a couple of decades old. And he simply wasn’t going to go through the hassle of a cult a second time. Maybe he could enroll White in a villain's school of some kind…. 

He brushed some papers aside on his desk, eyeing a handful of files still laying where he’d abandoned them. It had been a long time since he’d hired anyone under his employ, but he  _ was _ getting tired of having to  _ steal _ weapons to sell or doing the work  _ himself _ . Besides, he’d kept his eye on a few promising minds over the years… 

A flame appeared on his deck before flickering away, leaving a note behind on his desk. Gray Hat, apparently, was free for the afternoon. Good. After reading over the letter Black Hat crumpled it up and chucked it over his shoulder, smiling at his little brother.

“Let's get you to your other brother for a little while, and then later we can discuss some changes around here.”

 

\---

 

It had been a long, long time since he’d set foot in this lab. He’d planned to never return, it should have been permanently sealed. He should have known the doctor would have put in a secret entrance or two, it would have been unlike him to leave all his cards in play. 

He was only here to ensure it was sealed up, once and for all. He would let that doctors work  _ rot _ in the dark, unseen by any other eye. The doctor would have hated that, far more than his work being destroyed; the idea that it would remain untouched, pointless in some dusty old closet for all time. And the hatred that seethed in the shriveled up organ he once called a heart demanded a  _ personal _ last send of to everything the doctor had held dear. 

The lab coat was at his feet. He picked it up, ran his fingers through holes left by bugs and stains gained over time. The doctor used to take better care of the lab coats than he had his own body, which was partly why Black Hat had burned them all after he’d killed him. Or, at least he’d thought he’d burned them all, apparently he’d missed one. Black Hat wound the fabric between his hands, and pulled until the coat ripped along the seams with a surprisingly loud  **_pop_ ** of tightly woven threads. He bared his teeth before ripping into the coat with tooth and claw, leaving it in threads at his feet.

He lashed out without hesitation, grabbing the nearest table and tearing it from the bolts in the floor and chucking it across the room without bothering to aim, allowing it to fly into a cabinet set into the wall filled with strange creatures in jars. His arm lashed out, sweeping beakers and books of the nearest shelfs before ripping the metal from its place and chucking it into the nearest light, sending sparks flying everywhere as he grabbed at a metal box on the wall, ripping it to shreds so he could reaching the wiring underneath and tear them free, breaking the wall further in the process. The liquids spread over the lab were catching fire, which was spreading further through the lab with each passing second, burning the dust and grime that had gathered up over the years along every single surface of the lab. That was hardly enough for the demon, as he made his way around the lab, smashing every single piece of glass he could reach and stomping old inventions into crumpled pieces of scrap. 

Black Hat finally stepped back from his work, his coat bellowing out behind him as he walked calmly from the room, the door slamming shut behind him as the intense heat of the flames ate away at the memories hidden in the lab. Black Hat waited five seconds before turning around, opening the door to the empty and dark room. There wasn’t a single scrap of paper, no bolts or nuts, or even a hint of a coat or glove. It was as if nothing had ever been in this room in the first place. His work done, Black Hat left the room and headed back up the stairs into his manor. 

Maybe he couldn’t just leave the past to rot like he’d thought.

 

…

……

……...

 

Black Hat’s bedroom was as barren as ever, given that it belonged to a creature that never slept. He spent little time here, and it was almost never shown to any other being, so there was no need to dress it up to impress guests or potential suitors. However, lately it had become the storage space of a very important object to Black Hat, bringing him back to the room more times than he’d entered it within the last year alone. 

The doctor stepped closer, running a gloved hand over the surface of an egg sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the room. The only thing he’d ever seen like it was the fossilized remains of a elephant bird egg, but the texture was all wrong. It felt like his hand should pass right through it to the pillow it was resting on, while simultaneously being hard enough for him to rest his hand on. He’d been monitoring it for some time now, and if his readings were correct, the little monster hidden inside was going to hatch any day now… 

“It’s not going to hatch any while you stare at it.” 

Jerking back, the doctor drew his hand back to his chest and turned to the door, his heart skipping a beat in surprise. The man- or rather, the  _ demon _ that had startled him was leaning against the door frame, razor teeth on full display from his smile. The doctor breathed out slowly to calm himself, resting one hand on the podium slightly behind him. 

“Ah- my King, you startled me.” the man apologized, leaning down in a half bow. He’d been sure that Black Hat had already left for a very important meeting outside of the local town, nor had he heard the others footsteps. But of course he would like to check up on the egg before his departure- it would be out of character for him not to. 

With a chuckle, Black Hat stepped into the room, folding his arms behind his back as he walked. “No one's called me ‘King’ in centuries, Dr. Zug.” Black Hat reminded the human, ,a light tsk following the words lightheartedly. “I would have assumed you’d have picked up on that by now.” 

Zug turned his gaze away, a pink hue on his cheeks. “Right- I… my apologies, sir, old habits die hard.” he explained. His gaze was brought back to his master when he felt a velvet clothed hand on his chin, guiding it back to face the the others single eye. He hadn’t even noticed the other get so near- he was starting to think he hadn’t been paying attention to how quickly Black Hat could move during all these years. 

“Oh, I understand that perfectly well, doctor.” Black Hat purred, pulling his doctor closer so he could kiss him. It was hardly the first time they’d shared a kiss during the hundreds of years Zug had worked under him, and was in fact far from the deepest passion they had shared with each other, but it was a gesture Black Hat had long since learned it was an act humans associated with the very concept of being a mate. He followed it up with an act of his own when he paused to bite into the other's neck, sharp teeth marking the collarbone to remind the world that the human was his. Similar marks had long since scarred on his shoulders and arms, a series of reminders to their mating. Zug shuttered and brought his hands up against Black Hat’s brown vest in a gesture that seemed more intent on bringing Black Hat closer than push him away. 

“Now…. why are you messing with my brothers egg?” Black Hat asked, nuzzling the crook of Zug’s neck, his voice rumbling through the others collarbone. Despite how gentle the gesture was, the doctor still tensed at the question. 

“Oh- well, it’s just that your kind isn't born very often, and I’m probably the first person to see an unhatched- uh, whatever you are like this, so I guess I’m just… curious? Besides, you won’t even tell me where it  _ comes _ from.” Zug explained, leaning back to smile softly at his boss. “And someone's gotta check up on the little guy while your away.”

“I won’t be gone for long. And explaining my kinds reproductive nature would probably leave you insane. Curiosity killed the cat, you know.” Black Hat reminded him, pulling back while leaving his hands on the others hips. 

“But satisfaction brought it back.” Dr. Zug fired back, grabbing Black Hat’s tie and wrapping his hand around the golden pin, pulling him closer for another kiss before stepping out of his reach. “That curiosity is why I started working for you, isn't it?” 

Black Hat chuckled once more, swiping the back of his hand against his mouth. “Yes, I suppose you're right about that.” he purred, stepping towards the human. Naturally, Zug stepped back again… only to stumble back onto the others bed. Black Hat was on him in in instant, his hands to on either side of the others body as Black Hat smiled down at him. Zug shuddered, holding onto one of his bosses wrists out of reflexes. 

“HEY BOSS- oh, sorry.” a girls voice suddenly came from the doorway. “But we’re going to be  _ late _ for your meeting if you two keep up this behavior.” 

“Mia.” Black Hat growled, glaring back at the young women. Mia merely smiled back. Ultimately, she was right and Black Hat removed himself from Zug, brushing himself off. “So be it. But you need to learn to control this dreadful timing you seem to have, young lady.” 

Mia shrugged, her grin wider than ever. “Just luck, I suppose.” 

“I’ll see you later tonight.” Black Hat said, aiming his gaze at Zug. “We’ll finish our… discussion later.” 

“You can just say you’re gonna fuck him into sheets, it’s not like you two are some big ‘ol secret.” Mia pointed out, earning herself another glare as Black Hat shooed her out of the room. Mia sent Zug a wink before disappearing into the halls of the manor. 

“I swear, that girl could make a living ruining the mood.” Black Hat grumbled, running a hand down his face with a sigh. He sent Zug one last glance. “You’re in charge until I get back.” he called back into the room. “Keep an eye on my brother for me. And make sure you’ve finished your current work, your probably won’t be able to stand after I’m done with you.” 

With that final goodbye, Black Hat left the room. Zug waited a few moments before following, finding a window that faced the front yard. Black Hat and Mia were already down there, faster than they could have done if they had just walked. Black Hat glanced back and tilted his hat in Zug’s direction before the two piled into the car, a sleek red model manufactured earlier this very year. Cars were starting to become quite impressive now that resources were no longer being spent on the second war. 

Zug remained where he was until the car had disappeared down the street, and then a little longer, imagining the car taking its occupants far, far away. The meeting was on the other side of Hat Island, and would almost definitely go on for several hours. It was a safe bet for Zug to make sure they were really gone before he began, just in case they came back for something just as he was getting started.

Finally separating himself from the window, Zug returned to Black Hat’s bedroom and the egg awiting inside. This time he didn’t hesitate to slide his hands under the egg, hosting it up into his arms and carrying it from the room, careful to keep it secure in his grip. He wasn’t sure how strong the shell was, but he wasn’t about to risk it all when he was so close to his goal. His lab was on the lowest floor, several floors below Black Hat’s bedroom. Thankful, he knew a few shortcuts. Stairways hidden behind life sized paintings, halls that cut right through passages hidden behind a suit of armor, and years of living here insured he knew the fastest way around. Now all he had to do was avoid-

“Zug?”

Cursing her timing, Zug kept walking, ignoring the girl who had called out his name. The egg was kinda heavy and kinda not, so he’d rather not stop just to have to start walking again. Besides, He was close to his lab already. 

“Dr. Zug, what are you doing?” Lily asked, her footsteps following behind him. She sounded curious more than anything, rather than upset she was messing with the egg. 

“A checkup. Everything should be fine… can you get the door for me?” he asked, pausing briefly in front of his lab. The egg somehow felt even heavier now that he wasn’t moving. Thankfully, Lily didn’t waste any time stepping around him and opening the steel doors to his lab, allowing him inside. Zug moved right to an open machine, setting the egg down on the padding before closing the glass dome over it, flicking on the device as it hummed to life. 

“I didn’t know you performed checkups on the egg.” Lily noted, still hovering around his lab. There was something unsure in her voice, a suspicion she couldn’t quite seem to squash. 

“I’ve been doing them for awhile- but this is the first time I’ve moved it. Did you know it’s close to hatching, Lily? It could happen this week, or tomorrow, or even today.” Zug explained as he picked up a scanner, running it over the glass dome. Electricity zapped from one side of the devices antenna to the next, the reading higher than ever. He didn’t have time to wait any longer. “Just imagine, all the powers Black Hat has, locked behind a thin eggshell.” 

“It’s going to  _ hatch _ ?” Lily gasped, stepping closer. “Did you tell Black Hat? Oh, he surely would have canceled his meeting had he known-”

“No. I didn’t tell him.” Zug interrupted what ever Lily was going to add, pressing a button on his machine. Spiked robotic arms unraveled from the metal plating surrounding the egg, encircling above it and pointed towards the shell. Lily gasped, stepping forward and grabbing his arms. 

“What are you  _ doing _ ?!” she asked, voice eye in shock and worry. Zug shook her arm off, lifting his goggles from his neck and snapping them in place. 

“It hasn’t even hatched yet… I’ve done research into these things, Lily.” Zug said as he picked up his research papers, filled with diagrams of the egg and notes about it and the fluxes in the power contained within. “You can…  _ take _ the power for yourself, you know. Humans who have the same abilities as these  _ demons _ , exactly what we’ve seen Black Hat flaunting over mankind for decades now. “

Lily looked at Zug, and then the machine, and finally back to Zug, her face scrunching up in anger.  

“You’re going to kill him.”

“You don’t  _ understand _ Lily, this is everything.” Zug lifted his eyes to the girl, nothing but determination in his. “To these… these  _ things _ , these  _ monsters  _ of biology, we’re nothing but  _ playthings _ . We don’t  _ really _ matter to them. But this-” he paused to gesture to the machine holding the egg. “It’s the key to changing  _ everything _ . I can extract its power, even the scales just a little.” he pleaded, as if just trying to get her to see his point. He held out his hand to her, palm up in a welcoming gesture. 

Lily looked back at the machine, stepping back from it and Zug, closer to the door. “You’re going to kill Black Hat’s younger brother so you can steal his powers before he’s even hatched- did you ever really love Black Hat, or were you just drawn in by the hope you could take his powers as well?” she asked. 

A frown tugged at Zug’s lips, his hand lowering back to his side. “Yes. I did hope for that once- but I couldn’t attempt such without fighting Black Hat head on, and no drug works on their biology. But these things are  _ abominations _ Lily, just look at the wars that Black Hat  _ alone _ has caused for his  _ amusement _ -”

“He  _ loves _ you.” Lily shot back, voice wavering slightly as it rose in sudden anger. “And don’t you  _ dare _ pretend you were ever a saint- how many weapons have you created in your lifetime? How many new toxins? How many people died  _ painfully _ because you had a  _ fun _ new idea to sell?” she took another step back. “And you just- you  _ dare _ to stand their and speak of  _ abominations _ !”

He sighed, rubbing his chin before reaching under the counter and pulling a gun from one of his drawers, aiming it at Lily. 

“I’m sorry. I really am.” Zug promised before pulling the trigger. 

He turned before he saw the body hit the floor, the blood pool around the folds of her dress, the life drain from her eyes. Mia would be heartbroken when she found out. 

The machine was almost ready. Zug lifted his cup and held his nose as he drained the liquid from inside, then immediately tried not to vomit. But he needed it if his body was even going to begin to take in half the power contained within the egg. Even the festive train shape did little to ease having to drink this sludge, however. God, why did it have to taste so  _ disgusting _ ? Well, given what he put into it… no, don’t think about that, it’ll just make it worse.

He’d wanted Black Hats powers from the moment he'd first seen the creature take his nations throne hundreds of years ago. It had been a game to Black Hat, he’d never really cared about the gold crown or the land or the wealth at his fingertips, he’d only done so to pass the time. Duh had hoped to get in his good graces, he’d never imagined how close he'd been able to get. A shame he was about to throw it all away, he’d had Black Hat wound around his finger longer than he’d been able to keep track.

Something in the floors above him crashed into the side of the house. The crash was so sudden, vibrations shaking the walls and lights briefly as the sound cut through the air. There was no way they'd be back so soon… unless something had gone horribly wrong. Black Hat only ever crashed into the house when index by anger.

He didn't have time to waste anymore. It wouldn't take long for Black Hat to figure out the egg was missing or where he was. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. He wondered if Black Hat would feel fear for the first time in his life.

The door to his lab crashed somewhere to his left.

“Zug.” Black Hats normally gravelly voice was even lower than normal, poison dripping from his tone. “What do you think your doing.”

It wasn't really a question. He didn't give an answer. Instead Zug grabbed a lever on the side of his machine and yanked it down to activate the extraction. 

He never got his chance.

Zug had seen Black Hat move before. On foot, horse, and car. He’d never seen him walk faster than a power walk. The forcefield in the way should have repelled any attempt he made to get closer, at least for a little while.

Black Hats hand wrapped around his throat instantly, tentacles of shadows binding his arms and legs while Blacks Hat reached around him and smashed open the case to the machine, freeing the egg before the spikes could even enter it.

Zug suddenly went berserk as he tried to free himself from the death like grip, reaching out for his gun before setting slammed into it, shattering all the bones in hand.

“Did you know about the trap, Zug?” Black Hat asked, voice low and calm in his ear. “What would happen to Mia? You spared Lily the pain of learning of her death, at least.”

Zug tried to say something, but the others grip was too tight around his neck, and his body. He wa fairly certain his limbs were being crushed as spots appeared in his eyes, the pain alone keeping him awake.

“Do you know how often I trust someone like you, doctor?” Black Hat let go of Zug’s next and yanked his body around, without letting go of his.limbs. His arms and legs cracked loudly as they were ripped from his body, his scream bursting free from his chest. 

Behind Black Hat was a wall of limbs and teeth and claws, monstrous shapes swelling in an inky black sea. Black Hat himself was calm, holding the sides of Zug’s face.

“You don’t deserve this mercy, but I'm not going to  _ waste my time _ on the likes of  _ you _ .” Black Hat snarled, pulling the other closer for a kiss on the lips before pulling back, the green drool in his mouth building and spilling out of his mouth, sizzling on the bits of Zug’s skin the drops hit before it erupted from his mouth, washing over the others face and down his head as he spazzed and convulsed before going still. 

By the time Black Hat stopped, all that was left of Zug’s head was his skull, stained green by his drool. Black Hat ripped it free from the sky, tapping the top before cutting open his finger on his own tooth, dripping it onto the skull as it suddenly covered the whole thing in a red shell, hardening quickly. Black Hat opened a portal and chucked the rest of the body in before turning to Lily. 

Well. Not having a head was a problem when it came to mortals, as Zug had just found out. Black Hat tapped the body before the shadows leapt up, swallowing the girl and taking her away. Maybe some day he’d find a use for her remains, hers and Mias. 

And then there was… noone. Black Hat carried the egg back to his office, sitting in his throne and facing the window behind his desk, watching the outside world as the sun sunk across the sky and the shadows grew longer and longer until they overtook the city. He still kept the egg close, holding it in his lap the whole time, sometimes rubbing the surface without realizing it. Black Hat watched the clouds rolled in and blotted out the moonlight, the water pounding against his window like tiny little hammers. By the time the clouds parted, the sun was back in the sky, drying the puddles that had gathered in the storm. Despite how the wind tugged at the trees and the coats of the humans on the streets, clouds still hung lazily in the sky like fat little cotton balls. They almost blocked the full moon that was rising across the sky tonight, casting it’s light directly into his office. 

He was twirling something small in his fingers without realizing it, until more little chips of shell bounced off his hand and onto the floor. Black Hat glanced down in time to see large cracks slit the shell into three large chunks as little claws hands waved at the air and clung to the first thing they touched, which just so happened to be Black Hat’s hand. 

Black Hat shifted his weight, sitting up more as he moved his hands under the white shape in the shell and pulled him out into his arms, watching as he wiggled and bite into Black Hats tie. The moonlight almost seemed to make him glow. With a snap of his fingers, Black Hat summoned a little red beanie, pausing before flicking it and changing it to a softer blue with a bit of flames. He fit it over his brothers head, making him wiggle and whine before curling back up into Black Hats arms. Despite having just hatched, his little brother seemed very tired. And hungry. 

The trade for bodies hadn’t gone well. He hadn’t even been trying to buy human corpses… not yet, anyways. He looked at the red skull sitting on his desk, and thought about the body sitting in that other dimension, before standing and heading back to the kitchen to prepare his brother his first meal. 

 

……… 

……

…

 

“You look relaxed.” Gray Hat noted as Black Hat walked into the room. He didn’t even bother to glance up from his book, though he did tilt his face up in Black’s direction as though paying attention to him. “Get everything sorted out?” 

Black Hat glanced away from Gray Hat, finding White asleep on the couch where he seemed to have been in the middle of drawing things with crayons. He’d been gone longer than he’d planned. “I’ve scheduled an interview for a new head scientist.” 

At that Gray did flick his eyes up to the other demon before looking back at his book and turning the page. “Oh? I thought you were done working with humans.” 

“He’s got experiences in genetic manipulation. He cloned an immortal bear from a normal one.” Black Hat explained. 

“You still have their remains? I would have thought you’d gotten rid of them ages ago. But I suppose that's turning out for the better, isn't it?” Gray Hat shrugged to himself. “What’s his name?”

“Flug Slys.” Black Hat moved closer to White, kneeling down by him to check his drawings. Half of them were either him in a Pith Helmet or a family drawing, and the rest were skribbles of monsters and shadows and creepy figures standing under a spotlight. How nice. 

“Plane crash?” Gray Hat closed his book and set it on the table besides him. “Where do you find these people?” he asked. “Or is there a network of scientists with vehicle based names I’m unaware of?” 

He hmmpfed, lifting White into his arms and cradling him close to his chest. “You’d be surprised the names you’d get it you looked for applicants in the villainous world once in awhile.” he suggested. 

“No need, I’m all the employees I need.” Gray Hat stood up and joined his brothers, gathering White’s drawings. “Oh, and before I forget, I found that cape you were looking for.” 

Black Hat glanced back at Gray as, with the shadow of a flame, a folded white garment was dropped into Grays hand. He held one end, flicking the rest out as the cape unfolded instantly, the inner fabric filled with darkness and the twinkling of distant stars. Gray Hat stepped closer and wrapping the fabric around Whites shoulders, before Black pull the rest up and over him like a blanket. 

“Why don’t you stay for the night?” Gray asked out of nowhere, looking up and meeting Black’s eyes. “It's been awhile since I’ve seen you  _ or _ White, It’d be a shame to see you out so soon. Besides, I have some rotting cow I’ve been saving up for a good breakfast for some time now.” 

Black Hat thought back to his empty home and shrugged. 

“Sure. Spending the night won’t kill me.” 


End file.
